Family Wellness Program

At the Aviary Recovery Center, we know that addiction impacts more than just the client. The family environment needs to be adjusted to realize long-term recovery. Recovery is a journey for the entire family. By proactively addressing challenges, prioritizing open communication, and seeking support when needed, families can play a vital role in creating a safe and supportive environment for sustained recovery and growth.

Family Wellness Program

Family Wellness Program allows family members to become engaged in the process of helping and supporting their loved ones. At Aviary Recovery Center, we take the opportunity to create an experience that is safe, supportive, educational, and positive for the family and loved ones of the person with a substance use disorder. We take the time to provide education about communication, accountability, and support groups.

Our Family Wellness Program was specifically designed as an educational and social support program for the families and loved ones of people with addictions. The program’s objective is to provide tools to promote health and recovery.

Education topics include:

• How addiction affects the brain, your life and those around you
• Understanding the disease of addiction
• Self-Care for Families:
• Coping mechanisms: Teach families healthy ways to manage stress, anxiety, and other emotions associated with living with addiction.
• Seeking support for themselves: Encourage families to access resources and support for their own mental health and well-being.
• Family dynamics
• Setting boundaries and saying no: Empower families to set healthy boundaries and prioritize their well-being.
• Safe communication techniques: Teach families how to communicate effectively with their loved ones about their addiction and set healthy boundaries.
• Conflict Resolution and Prioritization in Family Dynamics
• Coping mechanisms: Teach families healthy ways to manage stress, anxiety, and other emotions associated with living with addiction.
• Managing transitions in recovery is a crucial aspect of the journey towards sustained well-being. 
• The classes are led by a mental health/addiction professional who understands the difficulties of attempting to manage life under these stressful circumstances.

Family Wellness Program Objectives

The program goal is to create an understanding environment that fosters less depression, less anger, and more family cohesion. The family becomes a key part of the process to gain strength and to create, embrace, and foster an environment of recovery.

Aviary’s Family Wellness Program will allow the family to try new skills and adjust them after receiving feedback from the treatment team, other families, and the client.

Additional subjects covered include:

• How to plan the next steps when your loved one leaves treatment
• How to handle perceptions of your loved one’s past or continued use
• Preparing your loved one to return to home and to the work environment

Evidence has shown that this type of Family Training can help to motivate our client’s loved ones to make changes in their own lives as well. In similar programs, about two-thirds of loved ones end up seeking help for their addictions. The Family Wellness Program is based on kindness and compassion for every member of the family, helping everyone become who they want to be.

The Family Wellness Program is offered as a FREE SERVICE to the St. Louis area community every Wednesday from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm in our Kirkwood office. For more information, call (636) 660-0986.